Board of Regents Sets 4.8 Percent Tuition, Fee Increase

Students and faculty from Connecticut State Colleges And Universities gather at the Board of Regents of Higher Education meeting to oppose tuition increases and rally for more state spending on those institutions.

Students and faculty from Connecticut State Colleges And Universities gather at the Board of Regents of Higher Education meeting to oppose tuition increases and rally for more state spending on those institutions.

HARTFORD — Students attending the state's community colleges and regional state universities will pay 4.8 percent more this fall for tuition and fees as a result of a decision made Thursday by the state Board of Regents for Higher Education.

Gregory Gray, who as president of the board oversees the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system, said his staff discussed "40 or 50 scenarios" to try to address a $48.6 million budget gap for next year before agreeing on an increase in tuition that was "appropriate and necessary."

He said the attempt to balance the budget was to keep the "horrendous cut as far away from students as possible."

For Connecticut residents, the increase in tuition and fees will amount on average to $186 more for community colleges students, $440 more for university students and $321 more for Charter Oak State College students.

On average, state residents are now paying $3,786 in tuition and fees annually at the state's 12 community colleges and $9,169 in tuition at the four state regional universities.

The board's decision came with a vote of 10 members in favor, one abstention, and with the two student representatives on the board, Sarah Greco and Eugene Bell, dissenting.

Patrick Raycraft

"More than we're willing to pay!" shouts Rashad Walser, 24, as he joins fellow Capital Community College student Angie Rodriguez, 35, at right, as well as faculty and staff in Degnan Hall at Capital Community College to protest the Board of Regents' vote to increase tuition.

"More than we're willing to pay!" shouts Rashad Walser, 24, as he joins fellow Capital Community College student Angie Rodriguez, 35, at right, as well as faculty and staff in Degnan Hall at Capital Community College to protest the Board of Regents' vote to increase tuition. (Patrick Raycraft)

The vote, at Capital Community College, was followed immediately by a rally of about 130 students who objected to the increase and also called on the governor and legislators to bolster state spending on public higher education.

"We are supposed to be a system of access and affordability," said Greco, who organized the rally, "but we are barring access by making education in CSCU unaffordable. We can no longer balance the state budget on the back of students."

Patrick Raycraft

Students, faculty and staff gather in Degnan Hall at Capital Community College to protest the Board of Regents' actions which include an increase in tuition.

Students, faculty and staff gather in Degnan Hall at Capital Community College to protest the Board of Regents' actions which include an increase in tuition. (Patrick Raycraft)

Gray told students that in 1989, the state's share of the cost for a community college education was 84 percent, leaving 16 percent for students to cover in tuition and fees. That same year, the state's share of the cost for the four state universities was 74 percent, leaving 26 percent for students to finance.

This year, the state is covering 40 percent of the CSCU costs, and students account for 60 percent in tuition and fees. In 2010, the costs were almost evenly divided, with the state covering 48 percent, while students paid for 52 percent.

"This is, I hope, the beginning of a long and certainly arduous process that's ahead of us to change the way the state is operating," Greco said. "We need an overhaul."

Gray explained the $48.6 million budget gap, saying the governor allotted the CSCU system $20.5 million less — a 5.8 percent cut in state funding — for fiscal year 2016, compared to the current year.

When Gray's staff considered additional funds needed next year for fringe benefits and negotiated salary increases, they figured that the CSCU system had $48.6 million less than needed to continue providing services next year at this year's level.

Gray said the tuition increase will bring in $21.6 million in additional revenues, helping to close the budget gap.

That leaves $27 million the CSCU system has to come up with.

"Let me tell you what 27 million dollars is," Gray said. "It's hard cuts that we have to absorb in this system. It's actually a larger amount of money than the total budget for four of our community colleges."

Gray said he's been having a "financial SWAT team" work with each of the 17 universities and colleges to come up with a plan for how to close the budget gap.

"Things on the table include program closures, facility closures, coordination of services, a delay in management pay raises, elimination of administrative stipends, and of course we are in a hiring freeze as we speak," Gray said. "Difficult, yes? Draconian, no. We can and we will get through this … [and] attempt to keep this as far away from our students as possible."

Gray said he will try to avoid "any type of workforce reduction," but he said, "that may be very difficult to do."

Many students said that though the increase in tuition and fees may not seem like a lot of money to some, it is to them and it could impede their efforts to get a degree.

Tommi DeMichael, a student at Asnuntuck Community College, said she tries to balance her schoolwork with a job in a restaurant, but the higher tuition will mean less time for her to focus on classes and more time working.

"I'm already scraping by as it is. I'm not the UConn student who has the financial backing of two financially secure parents," DeMichael said. "I'm the community college student picking up serving shifts to pay for a $300 genetics book. It took me over two weeks to earn enough money to pay for a book for that one class."

Many of the students at the rally said they are balancing families, jobs and classwork. Angie Rodriguez, a student at Capital Community College, has two children, 16 and 4. She works as a medical assistant and said she fears that a tuition increase will mean she has to work more hours.

"I'm 35 years old and I'm just trying to get back to school so I can advance in my career and knowing that tuition is going up — it's upsetting," said Rodriguez, who wants to become a registered nurse.

It's worrisome, she said, because she has a daughter who will be heading to college in two years.